Flame-coloring agent



Patented F eb. 15, 19 27.;

UNI ED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

OABLETON ELLIS, OF MONTCLAIB, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO CHAEELOID CHEMIOAE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

FLAME-COLORING AGENT.

No Drawing.

colorshave been used but they exhibit "thedisadvantage that often particles are carried away in the draft and the coarser and heavier particles are likely to fall through the crevices of a wood fire and become buried .in the ashes and therefore ineffective. Usually the coloration produced by such powders is of relatively short duration, lasting not more than a few minutes.

In the present invention flame-coloring compounds or substances are employed which are cemented together in some suitable manner, as for example by means of .a binder preferably of a fusible combustlble character.

A flame-coloring agent is used which freelytinges or tones the flame under th temperature conditions of an ordinary openfire or hearth-fire -burning wood.

This therefore usually excludes such substances as boric acid or copper carbonate and the like from the preferred embodiment of the invention. Chlorides of certain metals are-best adapted for the purpose, cuprous or cupric chloride being satisfactory to obtain certain tones. The latter compounds give 'a violet to a green color of a pleasant character' and at relatively low flame temperatures, Strontium chloride may be used to obtain a crimson coloration, barium chloride for green, and so forth.

The binder as stated is fuslole. and com-' bustible preferably carbonizing or intumescing to yield a mass from which the color ing agent is relatively slowly liberated.

Rosin, wax, gilsonit'e, pitch and the like are preferred as'these substances may serve to seal the chemical compounds, many of which are hygroscopic and thereby prevent any unsightly discoloration of the packages in w ich the roduct is shipped, furthermore conferring eeping qualities in some cases on some salts which are of an unstable character. a

The amount of the binding agent may be varied for example it may be just suflicient to bind together the powder or granular flame-coloring chemical materials but pref-I and the like.are placed on the top of the Application filed December 22, 1925. Serial No. 77,122.

erably an amount of binder is employed sufficient to allow melting or casting to definite shapes, e. g. sheets, cubes, tablets, discs, wafers and the like. Sometimes the binding agent may have inherent flame-coloring to properties as for example tetrachlornaphthalene, copper stearate, .and' so forth, are

employed.

By embedding the flame-coloring salts or compounds in the combustible sealing a cut excellent keeping qualities are conferre on substances which otherwise might beaffected packages, any hygroscopic properties of the salts present being effectively counteracted by the sealing. vehicle. Rosin exercises such an effect also, to a certain degree. In using the product of the present invenby protracted exposure in ordinary paper or tion one or more fragments,- tablets, discs mass of wood or elsewhere in the structure assembled on the hearth. This maybe done at the time the "fire isbuilt. When the fire is started these ta let seer in whatever shape the product of the-present invention is employed will be found to fuse or become sticky and therefore do not drop through the crevices of the wood structure to the bottom but remain in the upper part of the fire where contact of the flames will produce the maximum coloring effect. By remaining thus adherent to the burning wood in this effective position the flames become ver quickly tinged with vivid colors.

When the organic binder carbonize's it appears to seal some of the flame-coloring .agent in some manner so that it is more gradually liberated as combustion pro gresses. This feature of more lasting flamecoloration is a desirable one.

The. tablets or masses of the composition may be added from time to time as the,fire

progresses or as new fuel is introduced.

One composition which -I have found suit- 6 After stirring to mix the ingredients sufficiently the composition is 1 9 age does not coalesce.

poured on to a flat surface and subsequently broken into fragments sayone-fourth to one-h half inch in diameter. Usually I prefer to pour the composition at such a temperature that it is obtained as a thin sheet not more than one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch in thickness. Another composition is made-by taking forty-five parts-by weight of cupric chloride, grinding with four parts lamp ameter is not intended to exclude all shapes irregular shape may be produced. The salts.

andin some cases dextrine,

other than circular and obviously by breaking up the sheets, pieces of more or less of copper, barium, strontium, etc., mentioned above, WhlCll give distinctive or pronounced colorationto theflames may be embraced in the expression flame coloring salt 1 of an earth metal. The paraflin wax may contain ten to twenty per cent of a hard wax such as carnuba'in order to obtain a product which in warm weather in the packnoted above may be substituted for the copper chloride. In this way apackage can be prepared containing tabletsor fragments of substantial size each of which has a characteristic flame-coloring agent and on distributing several of these in the fire different colors are produced in different parts of the hearth.

In addition to the binders mentioned above others which have not the same waterproofing effect but which have good binding power, such for example as casein or glue, starch and the like may be used but are not recommended in preparing the preferred form of the present invention.

Preferably no oxygenyielding substances such as nitre, potassium chlorate, and so forth, are present as thereby pyrotechnical effects not desired in the present'case would result. At any event would produce anything such as would constitute pyrotechnic compositions, fuzees, Fourth of July fire works, or the like. It is an object of the present invention to obtain the slow liberation of the flame-coloring agent, so that a few tablets might last for an entire evening.

The combustible binder may be extended and rendered less combustible in some cases by using inert bodies, e. g. clay or other earthy material. Infusorial earth which is quite porous may be impregnated with aqueous solutions of the salts employed for A black composition Strontium chloride as g I do not use suchv amounts of highly oxidizingsubstances as flame-coloration, the earth'dried and then this material embedded'in resin, wax, pitch or other binder. The object in this case is to secure a greater retardation of the liberation of the flame-coloring agent.

In some cases it is possible to employa mineral binder with the flame-coloring agent, .e. g. magnesium oxide chloride cement to contain the 'copper or other flame-coloring salts. p p

I have observed, however, that a product of this kind is relatively heavy and does not adhere to wood hence when the fuel settles or is disturbed these mineral tablets very easily fall through the fire structure and their. flame-coloring effect is then practically lost. It appears to be necessary to secure themaximum effect to have the flamecoloring agent remain abovethe lower part of the fire bed and this result is achieved b employing the fusible binder or one which softens by heat suficiently to readily adhere to wood.

In some cases mixtures of various binders, such as rosin, gilsoniteand the like, may be a particular softening point.

:Agamwhen pouring the composition on a flat surface it is possible to make a pouring first with a composition giving a certain color, e.- g. blue, applying to the surface irregularly so as to make bands or local deposits and immediately fill in around these with a second composition, e. g. barium chloride, so that a coloring agent is obtained with striations containing different coloring agents. On breaking these into fragments many of them were found to, give a two-tone or three-tone flame-coloration as the case may be. While as stated I prefer to cast or mold the composition to any suitable shape it is also possible to apply in-the molten state to a chillroll to make a fiakelike product.

' Although I prefer tablets or discs or pieces about one-eighth inch thick and one-half inch to one inch, in diameter the size may be varied or an assortment of sizes may be used in each package. Various pigments may be added, e. g. red, ochre or amber, lamp black, and so forth, to give the fragments or tablets a characteristic appearance by means of which a tablet giving any'particular flame-color may be recognized. at, The term embrace a mass of the composition of the or bands of the composition tablet is intended to cover or present invention of any appropriate shape 4 including irregular fragments or flakes of 8n the other hand particles which are very small are ineffective. and transient in their coloring effect. Hence I pr'efer'not to employ the composition in the form of a fine powder.

It will be noted that the binders which I have above mentioned as the preferred examples thereof, are not soluble in water, are capable of at least partially melting at temperatures substantially above that of the human body (98 F. or so) but which do not substantially melt at below body temperature, the said substances being enerally oilsoluble, organic substances. are hereinafter referred to as relatively high melting, water-insoluble oil-soluble organic binders.

What I claim is: 1. A substantially waterproofed composition of matter adapted to cause hearth burning wood toproduceflames of variegated colors, comprislng a flame-coloring agent embedded in a fusible combustible binder made up into pieces of such size as to pro-' duce effective flame coloration lasting for substantially more than a few seconds, when placed on such fire.

2. Substantially waterproofed tablets capable of being placed on a burning wood fire without explosion comprising a flamecoloring metallic chloride held in a fusible combustible binder made up proofing binder.

5. A composition of matter comprising I cupric chloride in copper stearate.

6. A hearth-fire flame-coloring composition in tablet form containing awa-ter-insoluble somewhat fusible binder, the tablets uch substances beingof such size and composition as to produce elfective flame coloration lasting for substantially more than a few seconds, when placedon a wood fire.

7 A hearthefire flame-coloring composition in tablet form adapted at an elevated temperature substantially below that of the flame of a wood fire, to adhere to wood made up into pieces of such size as to produce effective flame coloration lasting for substantially more than a few seconds, when placed on a wood fire.

8. A tablet containing a flame coloring salt of an earth metal and a somewhat fus ible binder, capable of at least partially melting at a temperature substantially above normal human body temperature but not melting at normal human body temperature.

9. A non-explosive tablet containing a flame coloring salt of an earth metal and a relatively high melting water-insoluble oilsoluble organic binder, said tablet being of sufficient size to give an effective flame coloration lasting for substantially longer than a few seconds.

10. A non-explosive tablet containing a flame coloring chloride of an earth metal and a relatively high melting water-insoluble oil-soluble organic binder, said tablet beingof sufficient size to give an effective flame coloration lasting'for substantially longer than a few seconds.

11. A non-explosive tablet containing a flame coloring salt "of an earth metal and a relatively high melting water-insoluble oilsoluble organic binder, such binder including paraffin wax, said tablet being of suflicient size togive an effective flame coloration lasting for substantially longer than a few seconds.

12. A non-explosive tablet containing a flame coloring salt of an earth metal and a relatively high melting water-insoluble oilsoluble organic binder, such binder including paraflin wax and an agent capable of raising the melting point thereof, said tablet being of sufficient size to give an effective flame coloration lasting for substantially longer than a few seconds.

CARLETON ELLIS. 

